A Writer’s Responsibility: Discovering Your Readers’ Needs and Using it Successfully

The most important thing you can do if you’re going to be persuasive,

Is imagining your audience and the way that they live:

What do you know about their company, position, or responsibility?

Establishing your scope and organizing your thoughts are another way to write persuasively.

The most important tip to keep in your back pocket,

Is to write so clearly that what you say won’t be misinterpreted.

Don’t forget your audience is who you’re writing for:

If you keep these tips in mind you’re success rate will soar.

If you get too wrapped up in your own purposes,

The only responses you’ll get from your reader are questions and curses.

So, next time you’re sitting in front of your computer trying to persuade:

Allow these little tips to be your serenade.

For further tips on how to assess, please feel free to visit this web address.

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. Writing that Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.

"Alexander McCall Smith on Reader Needs and Demands «." Educating alice. 13 Apr. 2009 .

"Mike Savage - Savage Press: Meeting Reader's Needs." Savage Press - Michael Savage Publisher. 13 Apr. 2009 .

UThink: Blogs at the University of Minnesota. 12 Apr. 2009

Writing Thank You Letters by Jason Levine

Writing a thank you note in the business world is a very courteous thing to do and is very often overlooked. A simple letter that shows your appreciation can seriously be the difference between a job or not, a contract or not, etc.

A few things to remember when it comes to writing thank you notes:
-One should typically write a thank you note as soon as possible.
-Make sure it is addressed to a specific person, not necessarily just a thank you card labeled with a company's name.
-Do not write a long, drawn out letter. Be short and sweet.
-Make the thank you note specific to the incident you are thanking the person for. No one likes receiving a generic thank you card.

When it comes to writing a thank you note for an interview, it is important to write the note within 24 hours. Obviously one would want the recipient to get the note before their decision has been made.

Tips For Writing Thank You Letters-By Nathan Newberger-http://www.worktree.com/tb/MB_thanklet.cfm

Thank-You Letters-http://www.writeexpress.com/thank-you.htm

Collaborative Writing by Scott Dillon

Collaborative writing, what is it? A group of individuals working cooperatively to create or design a written document of sorts, ranging from brochures to manuals.

Key Ingredients are LEADERSHIP, EQUAL WORK AND RESPONSIBLITIES, SUPERB COMMUNICATION, and RESPECT.

6 Steps in Planning Process:

1. Brainstorming
2. Researching
3. Planning (Structure/Outlining)
4. Writing
5. Editing
6. Reviewing

Advantages:

• Make the most of an individual’s strengths
• Inspiring originality, imagination to acquire ideas and designs
• Less time spent on a project, due to teamwork

Disadvantages:

• Can be challenging if poor writing skills exist
• Lack of respect, communication, flexibility can end in a tasteless, cheap and impoverish finished product
• Take more time, if conflicts in schedules and poor communications

References:

Geroge Mason University, "Collaborative Writing Tasks." 28/10/2008 1. Web.13 Apr 2009.
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/chhs/writing/collaborative.html.
Jianshe, Zhai and Wang Liyi. "Using Ontology to Solve the Consistency Problems in Collaborative Writing." /09/2004 5. Web.12/04/2009. http://dsonline.computer.org/portal/cms_docs_dsonline/dsonline/topics/collaborative/events/iwces-6/Jianshe.pdf.
"Working Time." Flicker Web.13 Apr 2009. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29483821@N04/2887361260/.
Promotiontopia, "Promotion Pen." Web.13 Apr 2009. http://www.promotiontopia.com/promotional-images/blue-ballpoint-pen.jpg.
"Laptop." Education Center Online Web.13 Apr 2009. http://www.educationcenteronline.org/images/menu/computer.jpg.

The Importance of Writing Clearly by Clara Thompson

The Importance of Writing Clearly.

In the world of professional writing or any environment that demands strong writing skills, it is important to write clearly. Your reader needs not only to be able to read your composed piece but also understand it. Below are a few tips on writing clearly.

-Know your objective- Have a clear understanding of what your subject is and be familiar with it enough to be able to write about it. Also, know where you are going and what you want to accomplish. When you know what your goals are, it is easier to achieve them.

-Create an outline- An outline will help you to organize all of your information and present it in an easy to follow manner.

-Use plain language-simple words and plain talk. Write in short, easy to read sentences. To communicate effectively, simple is better.

-Concentrate on your reader-Help your readers get involved with your topic, help them to understand it and remember it. Watch your use of pronouns. The use of "you/yours" instead of "me/mine" takes of focus off of you and onto your reader.

It is important that you are able to catch your readers attention and keep them reading the entire piece of work. This calls for a strong introduction. Without it, the reader will loose interest and fail to read the entire document. For more helpful tips, please see the link below.


References:
http://www.ezineuniversity.com/
www.google.com/images

TACT and SKILL in Writing Effective Meeting Minutes By: Ann-Marie Navidomskis

When it comes to writing effective meeting minutes it’s important to never forget TACT and SKILL.

Time. It may seem obvious, but meeting minutes document at what time the meeting began and ended and how (approximately) each minute of the meeting was spent.

Attendance. It should be noted who was at the meeting, what they were assigned and when it’s due and when each person arrived and left.

Clarification. Revisions may be necessary. After each person has reviewed the minutes it’s important to correct any discrepancies.

Topic. Meeting minutes state what type of meeting it was (emergency, planned…) and what the topics covered were.

Show & Share. Because everyone at the meeting (and those absent) are responsible for what occurred it’s important to show everyone what has been documented either by projecting it or by making or e-mailing copies.

Kinetics. Were there any motions made at the meeting? Meeting minutes document who made a motion, who seconded the motion and what the final decision was: carried, defeated, postponed, etc.

Important events. Meeting minutes document every official thing that went on during the meeting time. Often time they’re kept

Leaders of the meetings will assign who is to take meeting minutes. This can be a consistent person or a rotation job.

Legal Document. It’s important to remember that Meeting Minutes can be used in a court of law as evidence.

For more information and examples of meeting minutes please visit here or watch the video below for some helpful and user-friendly advice on taking effective meeting minutes.

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. Writing that Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.

"Basic Sample of Board of Directors Meeting Minutes." Free Management Library. 12 Apr. 2009 .

CartoonStock - Cartoon Pictures, Political Cartoons, Animations. 12 Apr. 2009 .

"YouTube - How to Take Quick Meeting Minutes." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 13 Apr. 2009 .

5 C's of Technical Documents by George Herrera

The 5 C’s of technical documents. You didn’t think there were any, did you? Well there are! Clear, concise, complete, correct, and courteous. These attributes are extremely important in any technical documents that you will find.

· Clear – make sure that the message you are trying to convey is clear. Whether it be to inform, persuade, or request, always be sure that your purpose for writing the document is apparent at all times.

· Concise – Keeping it concise is one of the most important of the 5 C’s. Using excessive phrasing which can confuse the reader should be avoided. Keep to the point and avoid adding information that is not required.

· Complete – Making sure that your document is complete can be the difference between your reader understanding your point and agreeing with you, and your reader being lost in what you are trying to inform, request, or persuade about. Never leave a question, topic, or point unanswered or unexplained.

· Correct – Proofread. When you are sure your document is grammatically correct and has correct punctuation, proofread again! You can never over-proofread a piece. It will save you the embarrassment of letting foolish mistakes in your writing reach upper-level management or customers, which tend to be the majority of technical document readers.

· Courteous – There is no reason to add exclamation points in technical documents. Remember, you are informing, persuading, or requesting something in a technical document. You are not shouting at anyone. Technical writing should have a calm, neutral tone.

References

the Public Strategies Group. 2008. 12 April 2009 . <http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.psg.us/images/5csfind.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.psg.us/reinvention/the5cs.html&usg=__hl87xg4pvzw1B_sGs9aoM4i-Z3M=&h=355&w=358&sz=10&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=WUNLrYvKyNhQ_M:&tbnh=120&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3D5>.